Dr Imber says 3D printing is a perfect innovation for small businesses that need to make prototypes or customise products without increasing labour costs.

“In the past, getting a prototype of a tangible product was expensive and very time consuming,” she says.

“3D printing is opening up new possibilities for small business. I think it’s a real game-changer.”

Simple changes can be powerful

But Dr Imber says innovation doesn’t have to be a massive investment in technology or equipment. It could be as simple as using an app to save time and money and ultimately change the way you do business.

Businesses are increasingly utilising mobile phones whether it is to access a cloud-based invoicing and accounting system, payment devices such as Square Reader to collect money on the go, online document and data storage options such as Dropbox and Google Drive or communication apps such as Slack to minimise confusion between staff and time lost searching through emails for information.

There are also innovative tools to help small business owners restore their precious work-life balance.

“An innovation that I’ve been playing around with is a mobile app called Moment, which tracks your mobile phone and iPad usage and reports back with insights into what you’re spending the most time on,” she says.

“A lot of people recognise that they’re tied to their phone, it’s addictive. But an app like Moment is really great because it actually gives you tangible data on what you are doing and from there, you can better manage your time and change some fundamental habits.”

Embrace a different future

She says the agile workplace is definitely the workplace of the future, and those who aren’t open to change will become redundant.

“One thing I recommend small business owners do is to think about the work they’re doing now, pinpoint what isn’t challenging or rewarding and outsource those tasks to a cheaper economy or automated them with software that already exists.

“Time is the one thing we cannot get more of. The more time we can save doing things that can be outsourced in some way sets you up at a huge advantage to focus on what you’re good at.

“It will also allow you to explore new and different opportunities that could be the next big thing that drives growth for your business.”

AGL

AGL is dedicated to supporting Australian small businesses. We have a number of packages that can be tailored to your business’ specific needs. Visit us at agl.com.au/business to find out more.

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